A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced two persons to five years imprisonment for conspiracy, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.

Believe Leisure, 36, and Jacob Doukumo, 42, with Suit Number BYHC/BHC/CR/1/2023, were arrested by the police on December 24, 2022, along Sangana Creek in the Brass Local Government Area of the state.

Police counsel, Stella Jerry-Friday, said they were arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery which are punishable under Section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act.CAPT. R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

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She told the court that, “Believe Leisure, Jacob Doukumo and three others at large on the 24th day of December 2022 at about 600 hours at Sangana, Akassa in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State while armed with one single-barreled gun and two machetes, attacked one Johnbull New Year and one Jackson surname yet unknown and robbed them of a 30 horsepower Suzuki outboard engine valued at N600,000 only.”

The prosecution counsel also told the court that after a diligent investigation by the police, the duo were arrested and later remanded in custody.

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Doukumo was present in court for his sentencing, but Leisure had died while awaiting trial at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Okaka, Yenagoa.

The presiding judge, T.Y. Abasi, in declaring judgment said the court “found the accused guilty on the three counts” and sentenced them to five years imprisonment.

The Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr Jamila Dahiru, has commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for supporting the state in development of plans to improve the quality of service delivery in the sector.

Dahiru made the commendation in Bauchi on Friday at the opening ceremony of UNICEF/National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)’s collaboration on the validation and dissemination of State Education Strategic Plans (SESP) and State Education Sector Operation Plan (SESOP) in the state.

The Commissioner, who acknowledged that the resolve of UNICEF in advancing the education sector in the state could not be overemphasized, also commended NIEPA for embarking on the exercise, adding it would help in ensuring the appropriate allocation of resources to programme implementation.

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She however, decried the non availability of updated data in the planning of operations stressing that updated data was important in planning education policies.

The Commissioner promised that the government would work with the outcome of the meeting in order to move the education sector forward.

Earlier speaking, Ag Director General/CEO NIEPA Nigerian, Ondo, Dr. A. D. Shofoyeke, said that the formulation of the SESP and SESOP had been described as a testament to the collective vision for an inclusive, equitable, and quality education system in Nigeria.

According to him, these plans were not just documentsc but blueprints for the future of the children, the foundation of the nation’s growth, and the beacon guiding toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.

“Our journey here has been one of collaboration, consultation, and comprehensive planning. We have engaged stakeholders at all levels – from educators and administrators to parents and community leaders.

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“This inclusive approach has ensured that our plans are reflective of the diverse needs and aspirations of our society. It is this inclusiveness that will drive the success of our initiatives.

“The SESP and SESOP are holistic in that they cover all levels of education namely Pre-primary, primary, JSS, nomadic, Adult and Non-Formal education, senior secondary school, among others

“The SESP and SESOP outline strategic priorities that address critical areas such as: Access to education, Quality of teaching and learning as well as Governance and emerging issues.

“These plans are designed to tackle the challenges that have historically hindered our progress while leveraging opportunities to innovate and improve. Our focus is on creating a resilient education system capable of adapting to the dynamic needs of the 21st century,” he said.

The Edo State Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Engr. Ethan Uzamere, has assured that before the expiration of the Governor Godwin Obaseki led administration, roads currently under rehabilitation and construction in the state would be completed to ease the movement of motorists and other residents of the state.

He gave the assurance while speaking with reporters during a routine inspection/monitoring of some road projects in Ovia North East and Ovia South West local government areas of the state.

Making reference to a portion of the road that has been reconstructed/rehabilitated, Ethan said, “as you can see, this road leads to different farms sites and it also leads to a general hospital. There’s also a few religious centres around there. There’s also a very big residential community around these areas. It actually opens up the inner streets of the community.

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“Issues affecting our roads are external factors. Coming now, you see that most of the reasons are because of burrow pits. People are taking sand from the pit and this is actually making our roads to fail. It is very important to know who did these burrow pits miners get their licenses from?

“They get their licenses through the Federal Government and some times, the state government is not even aware. They deal with the community directly. So, it is very important for us as a ministry to let the people of the locality know the effects of the mining activities. It is actually going to affect their community land.

“You are seeing a lot of erosion around the states. It is not just Edo but around Nigeria. One of the major reasons why we have this issue, it is actually man made, but with proper planning and organizations, we can see how we can control some of these issues.”

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Going further, Uzamere stressed: “I am optimistic that most of these roads will be completed before the end of this administration. The projects we are doing are not personal. They are for the people. I know the people that this road is affecting will also cry to the next government that they should continue with the project.”

Roads inspected by Uzamere during the exercise included the Iguobazuwa- Usen-Okoro/Ugbogui Road Project in Ovia South West Local Government Area put at a length of 13.22km. Others are Usen-Okoro Road whose length is 7.1km; Okemola Road which is 1.45km and Ugbogui Road which is 2.5km.